ENT & Head & Neck Surgery at Kaiser

4 parent questions ▼
Archived Q&A and reviews ▼

Parent Q&A

Select any title to view the full question and replies.

  • Pediatric ENT at Kaiser for 4 year old tonsillectomy

    – Mar 18, 2021
    (4 replies)

    I am looking for recommendations or insight on the pediatric ENTs at Kaiser. My child needs a tonsillectomy, and we just transferred to Kaiser. We are located in Albany, but I am willing to travel around the bay area to find the best care. Thank you.

    Mar 18, 2021

    I'm sorry I can't give you a specific name, as our experience was several years ago and I simply don't remember the ENT's name, BUT....My daughter had a tonsillectomy (which also turned into an adenoidectomy) at Kaiser Oakland when she was 5 and I will say that it could not have gone better. We were so worried about the whole thing, but the team there were pros from start to finish. When my now tween daughter remembers it now, she has only good memories (being given a popsicle by the nurse) and absolutely zero negative memories of it - which also speaks highly of how well they performed the procedure. 

    I'm an NP at UCSF (full disclosure), and via my pediatric anesthesia and surgical colleagues I know Dr. Luke Schloegel at Kaiser Oakland has a very good reputation and has been around for a long time. I did meet him once at an appt with my toddler who snored, and he was quite thoughtful and measured in his approach, which I appreciated. (We didn't end up doing a sleep study or sleep endoscopy or tonsillectomy.) If my son had needed surgery at the time, I would have felt comfortable proceeding w/ Dr. Schloegel. Hope this helps!

    So, no direct experience, except indirectly through . 

    We saw Luke Schloegel and were happy with him. Shane Zim ended up performing the surgery when a spot opened up, and we were also happy with him. We initially had been seen by someone else, whose name I cannot remember, and I did not feel as comfortable with him. I don't see the name on Kaiser's website, so I am thinking he isn't there anymore.

    My daughter had her tonsils and adenoids out at Kaiser Oakland by Dr. Shane Zim when she was 4 (she's 5 now). Dr. Zim was excellent. It's something they all do routinely so I would imagine everyone would be good. I would advise though to ask that the surgeon do the procedure himself/herself. Kaiser Oak is a teaching hospital and even though the student would be watched closely and do a good job I'm sure, I wanted to be sure the pro did the deed on my baby. I made sure to remind them of my preference for this day-of too and I'm glad I did. Procedure was very successful and cured her sleep apnea. Good luck!

  • Experience with Ear Nose Throat at Kaiser Oakland/Walnut Creek

    – Dec 2, 2019
    (1 reply)

    My husband is recently diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in a lymph node in his neck.  So far, we have not been particularly impressed with the response and follow-up from the doctor he was assigned to at Kaiser Oakland in the Ear-Nose-Throat, or Head and Neck, Department who is handling this case.  Has anyone had experience they would be willing to share about the doctors in this group?  The four doctors we have to choose from Drs. Seo Moon, Bryan Fong (Walnut Creek), Kevin Wang and Deepak Gurushanthaiah.    We are very interested in a doctor with excellent surgical experience and practice dealing with patients.

    Dec 2, 2019

    I had a benign tumor in my saliva gland removed by Kevin Wang in 2018 and I was highly impressed. I believe he is the head of the department. I would definitely go in for a consultation with him. Best of luck.

  • Seeking feedback on Kaiser pediatric ENT - Oakland

    – May 23, 2018
    (3 replies)

    My child requires a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy and I was given the names of three doctors who may perform the surgery. If your child has undergone this surgery with any of the following doctors, I’d appreciate feedback about your experience.

    Dr. Ben Malkin

    Dr. Shane Zim

    Dr. Luke Schloegel

    Thanks! 

    May 23, 2018

    We were very pleased with our interaction with Dr. Schloegel. Our daughter only had a small in-office procedure, but he was thorough in his explanation of our options, thoughtful in his interactions, and technically competent. I should mention that both my husband and I are physicians (I am a resident in general surgery), so we are particularly critical about these things! He has small children of his own, and I think this supports his ability to interact well with other parents. Best wishes for an uneventful operation and recovery!

    I have experience with all three doctors with respect to the same procedure.!We initially saw Dr. Malkin. I didn’t feel like he did a great job of communicating the pros and cons of the treatment options. (He may very well be a good surgeon though.) We then got a second opinion from Dr. Schloegel, and I had a lot of confidence in his expertise. Dr. Zim ended up doing the surgery. Everything went great, and I have no complaints about him. (Here’s some unsolicited advice: Stay on schedule with the pain medications, even if it means waking your kid up!)

    Dr. Luke Schloegel

    Hands down the best!! He did two surgeries for our daughter. He’s kind, patient, very kid friendly and answers all your questions carefully. 

    I can’t recommend him highly enough!!  

  • Kaiser ENT, Oakland? (or general Head and Neck)

    – Jan 31, 2018
    (1 reply)

    Hello,

    I'm looking for recommendations or even just input for a Kaiser Oakland ENT for myself. Appointments are few and far between and I have read positive recommendations for Dr. Rasgon but his next appointment isn't for a while. It may become more of a "head and neck" issue so any recommendations there might end up helping, too.

    Does anyone have any experiences to share with me? Please email me personally if you are comfortable. This is for personal use only and will not be passed along to anyone. I'm mostly concerned with professional skill, including listening skills, with the understanding we all connect differently with different medical personalities. (Of course I'd love the "whole package" of supportive, communicative,  attentively listening specialist with terrific diagnostic and technical skills!) 

    Thank you.

    Jan 31, 2018

    I saw a doctor in the Head and Neck Clinic at Oakland Kaiser about 6 years ago who was actually a pediatric specialist, but he was the one available for a same-day appointment. I thought he was great. Luke James Schloegel, MD Specialty: Pediatric Otolaryngology  He nailed the diagnosis and was very good at explaining what the problem was and what my options were, one of which was surgery. I was pretty freaked out when I went in, but he was very calming and reassuring, and very patient and attentive. He suggested a biopsy on the front of my neck, which terrified me, but he did it in the office right then and there and it was a big nothing, no hurt and no stress, and it ruled out a couple of scary possibilities. He also referred me to a specialist in case I elected surgery, but he gave me enough information that I was able to make the decision not to have the surgery. Friendly guy, very good at communication, I recommend him.

Archived Q&A and Reviews

See also: Ear Tubes at Kaiser

Feb 2009

At 39 years old (!) I need to have my tonsils out due to a build up of scar tissue and recurrent inflammation. I am looking for recommendations for a Dr. in the ''Head and Neck Surgery'' department at Kaiser Oakland. I was sent to a Dr. Byl who seemed fine- I just feel a little uncomfortable having a surgery with a Dr. I spoke with for 5 minutes! So I am looking for feedback on any doctors from this department at Kaiser Oakland. Thanks pam

I was initially referred to Dr. Byl in Head and Neck Surgery, and was very uncomfortable with my experience. (For example, he needed to kneel down on the floor to plug in an appliance, and did not change his gloves, which has touched the floor, before continuing my exam.) When I asked several staff at the office who the best doctor there was, they all agreed on Dr. Barry Rasgon. In my experience, the wait to see him may be long, but his demeanor was much more professional, and I have great confidence in his surgical skills. You would be wise to switch.

June 2004

I'm looking for a recommendation within the Kaiser system (anywhere in Nothern California)and outside Kaiser. We've discovered a hearing loss in one ear of my 3 yr old son and we're not thrilled with the Doc we've got at Kaiser Oakland. We need a second opinion about the next steps to take. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks. Sharon

She's not a Pediatric specialist as far as I know, but you might contact Dr. Irene Yu, MD at Hayward Kaiser's Head and Neck Surgery Department for recommendations. She is a fantastic doctor, I have personal experience with her, as do several people I know. Best of luck with your search. Rachel